Model Page
Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2
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Production Run: |
76,473 |
|---|---|
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Production Date: |
1984 - 1989 |
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Engine: |
3,164cc Flat Six Injection |
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Built: |
Zuffenhausen (Germany) |
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0-60: |
5.3 secs |
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Max Speed: |
152mph |
The Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera was built between 1984 and 1989 and at the time of its demise the model was the best selling 911 in the history of the company with over 76,000 units being manufactured. The car revived the Carrera name for the first time since 1975. The car could be ordered as a Coupe of which 35,670 were built, a Cabriolet of which 19,987 were built or a Targa body style of which 18,468 were built. The Carrera 3.2 was an evolution of the 3.0 SC 911 utilising the same rear engine rear wheel drive orientation and was heavily based on this model. The car went on sale in 1984 priced at £23,366.
The car featured a slightly revised body taken from the 3.0SC, the modifications being a new front spoiler with integrated fog lamps. The car came fitted with telephone dial alloy wheels as standard, with Fuchs alloys being an optional extra (until Fuchs wheels became standard in 1988). The Fuchs wheels were available in black, white or platinum-metallic.
Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2
The engine fitted to the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 was radically overhauled, and according to Porsche’s engineers over 80% of the components were revised from the 3.0 engine upon which it was based. The engine capacity was raised from 2,933cc to 3,164cc, the increase in capacity was gained from using larger 95mm barrels and the 74.4 mm stroke crankshaft of the 930 Turbo. New forged pistons with raised crowns were installed increasing the compression ratio to 10.3:1 from 9.8:1 (US Market Engines were rated at 9.5:1). Changes continued with the motor being fitted with a newly designed inlet manifold and exhaust system.
The upgrades continued and included the addition of the Bosch Motronic 2 DME (Digital Motor Electronic System) engine management system. This unit precisely controlled the ignition and fuelling system, this was the first time that an electronic control unit was installed in a production 911. The fuel injection system on the engine was upgraded to the Bosh LE-Jetronic system. The benefit of the new electronic management system was that fuel consumption was reduced by around 10% of the figure achieved by the smaller SC unit due in part to the DME system cutting off petrol on overrun.
The weak mechanical chain tensioners were replaced on the 3.2 with hydraulic tensioners for the cam chains, the hydraulic items were fed by the engine’s oil system. This solved the weakness that was present with the old unit. In this form the engine now produced 231 bhp @ 5,900 rpm and around 209 lb/ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.
To improve cooling, a finned oil cooler was installed replacing the serpentine lines in the front passenger side.
Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Engine Bay
The Carrera was fitted with the same gearbox that was fitted to the 3.0SC, namely the 915 5 speed, the gear ratios being revised in fourth and fifth gears to provide better fuel economy and reduced revs at speed. This gearbox stayed with the car up until 1987 when the unit was replaced by the much superior Getrag G50 5 speed unit, this unit also had a hydraulically operated clutch rather than the previous units cable arrangement. This unit provided smoother, shorter gear changes adding to the driving experience.
The car was fitted with larger, ventilated discs to improve stopping ability now that the car had a significant increase in power. These discs had a larger diameter and thicker width that increased the rate at which heat was dispersed.
The model featured the same interior as the previous model with the addition of revised seat fabric and trims. The biggest change to the interior came in 1986 when the car was fitted with a redesigned dashboard that housed larger air conditioning vents.
Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Interior
During its lifecycle the car benefited from a number of updates, in 1985 a four spoke steering wheel was introduced and the radio aerial was integrated into windscreens providing a cleaner solution. New Boge suspension dampers were installed along with a shorter throw gear stick. At this point central locking also became a standard fit to all models. In 1986, the car was installed with a new design of sun visor that housed covered vanity mirrors. A passenger cabin temperature sensor was placed on the dashboard, the seats inside the car were lowered by 20mm giving the driver a better seating position. Mechanically larger anti roll bars were added and the car was fitted with torsion bar rear springs.
In 1987 the car featured further visual revisions with the rear fog lamps now being integrated into a new reflective rear panel. Final revisions to the Carrera were made in 1989, 16” wheels were made standard and an alarm system linked to the central locking was produced. A CD player could be fitted to the car as an optional extra.
Special Editions
In 1984 Porsche introduced the 911 Super-sport, more commonly referred to as the “Turbo Look”. The factory option for this model was “M491”, this upgrade gave the Carrera the body shell of the 930 Turbo featuring flared arches and tea tray spoiler. The car benefited from the addition of the turbo chassis, suspension and braking setups as well as wider turbo wheels. The car proved to be very popular especially in the US where the 911 Turbo had been withdrawn. Initially the Super-sport was only available in Coupe form, but in 1986 the option could be ordered as a Targa or Cabriolet.
911 Club Sport
During 1987 the Carrera Club Sport (CS) was introduced to the market, this car was produced between August 1987 and September 1989 during which time 340 examples were produced. The car was factory option M637 and was essentially a stripped down version of the Carrera. Electric windows, electric sunroof, air conditioning, radio, rear seats, rear wiper, fog lamp, bonnet locking mechanism, engine and boot compartment lights, lockable wheel nuts and Carrera logo on the rear of the car were all removed from the edition in an attempt to save weight. Additionally, the undercoating from the car was removed along with the sound insulation and door pocket lids. In all the removal of these items were reported to have saved around 70 Kg.
Further improvements lay with the engine and suspension both being tuned for racing purposes. The engine was completed blueprinted and featured hollow take valves and an increased rev limit.
All cars were finished in Grand Prix White and featured a red Carrera CS decal on the side of the car. Each engine was stamped with a SP on the crankcase and cylinder head. The car proved to be popular with the racing community but struggled to sell to the average car owner as these people saw the car as being very basic.
Between January 1989 and July 1989, the 911 Speedster was manufactured, the initial design of the car had been devised by Helmuth Bott in 1983 but production of the model was not realised until 1989. This car was factory option M503 and was a low roofed version of the 911 Cabriolet, resembling the Porsche 356 Speedster produced during the 1950’s. Only 2,104 of these rare cars were produced, being available in turbo look or standard body.
Production of the 911 Carrera 3.2 ended in 1989 when the model was replaced by the radically reworked 911 – the 964. During its production lifecycle the car built up a reputation for offering strong performance whilst providing superb reliability and be affordable to own and run.
The Facts
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Engine: |
Porsche 3,164cc Horizontally Opposed Flat 6 |
|---|---|
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Capacity: |
3,164cc |
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Valves: |
12 |
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Compression Ratio: |
10.3:1 |
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Fuel System: |
Bosch LE-Jetronic Fuel Injection |
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Maximum Power: |
231bhp @ 5,900 rpm. |
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Maximum Torque: |
209lb/ft @ 4,800 rpm. |
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Transmission: |
Manual 5 speed. |
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Top Gear: |
24.07mph per 1000 rpm. |
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Brakes: |
Servo Assisted Ventilated Front Discs / Rear Discs |
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Kerb Weight: |
1260kg |
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Max Speed: |
152 mph |
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0-60: |
5.3 secs |
